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Local historic Church with iconostasis
The Martyr Church of St. Dimitri is in Djambaz Hill, the tallest of the 3 hills in the Town of Plovdiv. It is close to the amphitheater and the cathedral. The current structure is from the years 1830-1838 and was constructred on the site of an old church with same name, whose foundations were laid in the year 1230 under the reign of Tsar Ivan Asen II. During the centuries of Ottoman rule the church was burned, crushed and reconstructed various times. The 1st written record preserved where it is mentioned is "Registering a trip to the Ottoman Porte in Tsarigrad" (year 1573) by the German theologian Stefan Gerlach.
The church is a basilica with a nave and 2 aisles. It was constructed with solid stone walls and gable roof. The ships are divided with 12 granite columns. On the altar there are 3 thrones dedicated to San Dimitri Martyr, in the north to San Atanasii the Great, and south to San Haralampii. The loveliest and most symbolic of the church is the iconostasis, which is a monument in the Bulgarian revival art. The silver icons iconostasis cover the old church and date back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Experts believe that these are works of the masters of Macedonia. On the pediment of the iconostasis is also painted on the marble the Last Supper. In the year 1922 the bishop gave the church to the Russian colony in the city and until the year 1964 the church was controlled by the Russian church.
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